Valley of Flowers

I have finally started looking through my photographs from my trip to Armenia this summer. It's been nice. I put on music and zone out for a few hours, clicking away, reliving the moments of this trip in my head. I'm glad I went.

We visited a resort town called Tsaghkadzor (means Valley of Flowers) which is located in Kotayk. During the winter, there is snow everywhere and people come by to visit the ski resort. During the summer, there is no snow, obviously, but the ski lifts still operate. The ride up was peaceful for the most part - occasional screams from my little cousin, who is afraid of heights, added some excitement. We wandered around up top and I was delighted that there were adorable horses hanging out.

It was a fun day. Lots of warmth and laughter. I miss my relatives very much. It's always nice to visit beautiful places but it's even better when you have wonderful company with you as well.

Back from the motherland

At Khor Virap - Lusarat, Armenia

I came back from Armenia a month ago and it has taken me this long to make a post. I wanted to write as soon as I got back but to be honest, my experience there was so overwhelming that I didn't know where to start and so today I decided I should just write something. I need time to process my trip. I took so many photographs and when I sit down to sort through them I get overwhelmed again, so if it's alright with you, I'm gonna take some time and let them sit for a bit until I'm ready.

Armenia was wonderful. It had been 12 years since I'd been there last. Saying that the place had changed would be a huge understatement. I had heard how much Yerevan (the capital) had changed from friends and family that had traveled there these past couple of years but I didn't expect to be so pleasantly surprised. It's a beautiful city with so much happening! People are always out and about and I'm a bit jealous that I'm not there right now.

What I appreciated the most was that I got a chance to disconnect from my worries for a bit. I was surrounded by wonderful people and friends, ate a lot of good food, and was just constantly in awe of how beautiful Armenia is. Lots of love all around <3

I'll be back with more photos <3

Packed and ready to go

Traveling to Armenia in the afternoon. I am currently sitting alone watching youtube videos and drinking tea because I can't fall asleep. Yuuuup.

I hope you're all well <3 I'll write again soon.

cachuma lake

I went camping over the weekend at Cachuma Lake with a fun group of people. It was great...it felt like we had taken over the place. I hadn't been around a huge group of people like that in quite a while. When I used to go scouting, this was something that would happen several times a year so it was something I always expected and looked forward to. When you become busy with your own life and get sucked into school, you tend to forget about the things that go missing. It was a warm feeling...to be around so many loud and funny people again. Friendships like these are what I treasure the most. We might not see each other for long periods of time...but when we do meet again, we pick up right where we left off. I have camped at Cachuma many times before but it had been a while since the last time. It's a beautiful camp ground with a beautiful lake and lots of cute little birds and lizards. During the day the sun was out and it was hot (my face is peeling as I type this...) and the nights and mornings were cold. I was freezing Saturday night. It was ridiculous and embarrassing on my part as I was wearing five layers of clothing plus someone else's jacket. I had been sitting next to the fire for so long that when I finally showered when I got home, I could still smell the smoke in my hair afterward.

**Sidenote! The night sky was so beautiful. I couldn't believe it.